Finding the light (a.k.a. One Month)
by moonswirl
Summary: Wish I was better at writing summaries... until then... well, let's just say 'late night visits'... I'll leave the rest for when you read (please!) *prologue of my destiny series*
1. Sad & Scared

Finding the light (A.K.A. One month)  
  
Author's note: Prologue of my Destiny series  
  
One month. One unbearably long and painful month since Liz Parker had walked away from Max Evans. It was amazing how her world had come crashing down on her so fast.  
  
Why?  
  
For 30 days, she asked herself that question and still no answer appeared to her. All she could do was lie in bed and think. Her parents were worried, yet there was nothing they could do. She wouldn't say what was wrong. She would wake up, shower, get dressed, eat almost nothing for breakfast, go to school, only half-listening, come home, do homework, eat dinner and then she would cry herself to sleep.  
  
The event would play back in her mind over and over like a little movie. The pod chamber. That alone gave her shivers. Max. His sister, Isabel. Michael Guerin. And Tess Harding. It all started because of her. Just when things were gaining an appearance of normalcy, or as normal as they could get when you were friends with aliens, there she came.  
  
Before long, there were 2 more aliens in her life. Tess and Nasedo, who was posing as her father. Not only did they disrupt her nice little life, but also the ones of her best friends, Maria DeLuca and Alex Whitman. While she was with Max, Maria was with Michael, and Alex with Isabel. And then there was Sheriff Valenti and his son, Kyle, whom she'd dated the previous summer.  
  
From the beginning, they both knew something was up with Max. But when Agent Pierce of the FBI captured Max, they had told him the truth. Then, when Kyle was accidentally shot, Max healed him, just like he had healed her when she was shot, back in September. From then on, their group of six had unwillingly become a group of ten.   
  
They didn't really have a problem with the Valentis, and Max, Michael and Isabel had no choice but to accept Tess, since they knew she was one of them and there was no way she would leave, being completely devoted to her "destiny". The problem was Nasedo. They didn't know what to think of him. Liz knew how she felt about him, though. Ever since he impersonated Max and nearly had him killed after kidnapping her, she kept her distance from him at all cost.  
  
But as much as all these things had surprised her, nothing compared to what happened in the pod chamber. After Nasedo left to take apart the Special Unit of the FBI, they decided to find out what would happen if they set off the two orbs, communicators, they had found.  
  
It was a message. From Max and Isabel's mom. As Liz listened to the image talk, that's when she understood what "the new girl" was doing in Roswell, New Mexico. She had come for her mate. She had come for Liz's boyfriend. She had come for Max. That day, her life changed forever. She knew she could never go back to what she had before. It was gone, never to be seen again.  
  
At that moment, as she lay in her bed 30 days after that day she would never forget no matter how hard she tried, she made a decision. She was gonna stop being sad and get her life back. She got up, put on a coat and shoes over the clothes she had carelessly thrown on herself that morning. She hopped down the stairs, not even stopping to see the surprised look plastered on her parents' faces as she told them she was going out for a walk. It was almost nine at night, but she didn't care at all.  
  
Some time later, after dragging herself around town, she found herself in front of Kyle's house. She didn't why she did it, but the next thing she knew, she was ringing the doorbell. And when he answered, she smiled.  
  
***  
  
One month. And it had been so hard for her. She knew that if she decided to begin this relationship, it was gonna be so hard for her to get over it. Michael Guerin had turned her life upside down. And it's not like it was all bad. They had had some great times, which was surprising to her. For as long as Maria DeLuca remembered, Michael had been a loner, only hanging out with Max and Isabel Evans. She had no idea why.  
  
That all changed the previous September. The day began like any other. She was working with Liz at the Crashdown. Before she knew what happened, a gunshot was heard. She looked around and was horrified when she saw Liz lying on the ground. She wasn't moving. She was pulled back as she saw Max go up to her best friend. She couldn't see anything, but then she saw Liz stand up as Max run out and join as they drove off.  
  
Over the next few days, Liz was acting strange and she decided she'd had enough. It was the night of the Crash festival. She gave Liz an ultimatum: she could tell her or she'd go to Valenti and tell him what she knew. So Liz told her. And she freaked out. Max Evans was an alien! She knew there was something odd about the guy, but this wasn't what she expected. Just as she was starting to accept it, she learned there were more. Isabel was also "not of this earth". And so was Michael.  
  
This was just crazy. And then, she was part of the plan to throw Valenti off their tracks. The next couple of months had been a blur. Alex was brought into the secret, Tess and Nasedo had come to town, and Michael and Maria had begun their on-and-off, on-and-off little dance of a relationship.   
All of this was nothing compared to what happened in the previous two months.  
  
Max and Liz, Isabel and Alex, and Michael and her, they had all been so close. The three couples were also six great friends. But then, it all went horribly wrong. Tess arrived, along with Nasedo. Isabel (and Michael) had a pregnancy scare, Max was captured by the FBI Special Unit, Sheriff Valenti and Kyle learned the secret, the last one still sent chills up her spine just thinking about it.  
  
That day, 30 days ago, Max, Michael, Isabel, Tess and Liz went off to the pod chamber to bring Nasedo back to life. Alex and Maria had been left behind. So they waited in the Crashdown. About two hours later, Liz came in the door. Maria was afraid to ask when she saw her. She'd been crying and she had a dazed look on her face.  
  
"What's up?" asked Alex.  
  
Maria just knew he was trying to be strong and he was as afraid as she was.  
  
"I think you should sit down."  
  
Even her voice was shaky. So they sat. And she told them. Then she knew what had made her so upset, because Alex and her were just as upset as she was when she finished. Max belonged with Tess. She felt so bad for Liz. But for herself and Alex also. Michael belonged with Isabel. It all made sense now, in some twisted way, but it made sense. That's where the whole thing with the baby from their dreams was coming from.  
She couldn't speak for about a week after that day. She only spoke when needed, like for work, school and her mom. If her mom knew what was going on she wouldn't take it well. Not a chance.  
  
So what was she supposed to do now? She needed to talk to someone. But who? The aliens were out of the question. The Valenti guys were still taking everything in. It wasn't everyday you found out aliens, real aliens were living among you and that they had done so for the past decade. She couldn't go to Liz. She was still weeping day in day out about this whole thing. Of all of them, she had probably been the one who'd taken it the worse. There was only one person she could talk to at the moment. Only one person who would understand what she was going through, because he was too. Alex.  



	2. Lonely & Insecure

One month. One month of despair and loneliness. For them. But for her, it had been more than a decade. Ever since the day she came out of her pod. They were gone, all three of them. Sure, she had Nasedo, but like she would tell herself all the time, he wouldn't ever be family to her. He wasn't human. Neither was she, but at least she tried to be friendly. She tried to be human. But there was nothing other than his appearance that was human about him. Tess Harding knew it. Not that he'd let her forget it. He also wouldn't let her forget what she was here for.  
  
Max Evans. That's what, or rather who, she was here for. She'd been told so her whole life, although she hadn't known his name until a few months before. That was the only time she'd seen a glimmer of humanity in her protector. She was watching TV in their latest home, when he came almost running in the room.  
  
"I found them," he'd said with what she assumed was his equivalent of joy.  
  
"Where?" she'd asked, sitting up.  
  
"Roswell."  
  
She was speechless. She never thought they would have ended up living so close to the pod chamber. It was the last place they would have gone. A month before, she had suggested he look there, only to get him away, so she could have a party. She never thought he'd go, but he did, and he found them. Pretty soon, they had packed everything and moved to Roswell.  
  
She knew their names, finally. Max, Isabel and Michael. The first time she saw Max, it took her breath away. But it was soon over. Who was that girl sitting with him? Just looking at them, she knew getting him to accept his destiny with her would be harder than she thought. He loved her, she saw it in his eyes. So she decided to get close to someone else first.  
  
She chose Isabel. And they had become friends. But the others would definitely be harder to convince. Only, when they found out, 30 days ago, they had cast her aside a bit. Even Isabel. Especially Max. Michael, however, hadn't pulled away as much as the others. He wanted her to teach him how to use his powers.  
  
And the five humans, it was a whole different story. Nasedo always said not to get close to humans. But she wanted friends, alien or human. She'd never said it aloud, especially not to him. She wanted so bad for Liz, Maria, Alex, Kyle, and even the Sheriff, since he now knew their secret, to accept her. But after the turmoil she'd caused in their lives, they wouldn't exactly welcome her with open arms.  
  
As she looked outside the window, she felt something come over her. It was hard to explain. But whatever it was, went as quickly as it had come. Before she knew what she was doing, she was walking to her car. That feeling was still on her mind. What had it been? It was like... like her subconscious told her to go for a drive. For some reason, she knew where she was going, even if she hadn't even decided to go there.  
  
She stopped and looked at the house. Why had she come here? What was she supposed to say? 'Sorry for screwing up your relationship?' 'I was in the neighborhood, thought I'd stop by?' That wouldn't work. But she knew it was something she had to do. She'd waited long enough.  
  
She shut off the engine. After looking at her watch, it was 9 at night, she slowly opened the door, got out, and closed it. 'Come on, you can do this,' she thought to herself. All of a sudden, the house looked enormous and so far away. After what seemed like an eternity, she was at the front door. 'Ring the bell. Just ring the bell.' One more deep breath. She looked at the car. It had never looked so inviting. 'This is ridiculous. Why am I so scared?' She pressed and heard the bell. 'There. I did it.' Shortly after, the door opened. 'Gorgeous as ever,' she thought.  
  
"Tess. What are you doing here?"  
  
"Hi, Max."  
  
***  
  
One month. Seemed like yesterday. How could this be? She still had trouble understanding it. In just a few short months, her entire world had changed. First one, then two, three, now five humans knew her secret. And she had found two more aliens. For a decade, she had relied on Max and Michael only. Sure, she had her parents and her school 'friends'. But none of them knew the real Isabel Evans. None of them knew she was from another planet.  
  
But Liz, Maria, Alex, Kyle and the Sheriff did. And Tess and Nasedo had taught her so much. But there were some things she wished she'd never learned. Like this whole destiny thing. How could it be that she was meant to be with Michael? No way! He was like a brother to her. And now she was supposed to... to mate with him? She couldn't.  
  
But she had to admit, those dreams had certainly intrigued her. In more ways than one. He looked so happy. SHE looked so happy. It was hard to deny it. In fact she couldn't deny it. They both looked filled with joy. And the young boy... their son... his son... her son. He was so beautiful. He kinda looked like Michael. Her, too. Now that she'd seen him, her maternal instincts were in overdrive. What should she do? That boy deserved to live. But could she have a life with Michael, like being married to him and all. And what about Alex? He'd been so good to her. He hadn't spoken to her, a real conversation, in those 30 days since the pod chamber.  
  
When the four aliens had returned to Roswell, they had gone their separate ways. Michael and Tess went to their respective homes. Max had gone somewhere, not saying where. He never did tell her, although she was almost 100% sure where he'd went... to Liz. And from the look on his face when she saw him that night, it hadn't gone very well. Knowing her brother, she didn't ask anything.  
  
She had gone to Alex's house. She didn't have the courage to ring the bell. So she went around to his window. There he was. It looked like... like he was crying. On closer inspection, she saw that he was indeed crying. And unfortunately, she understood why. 'I did this. I hurt him.' She had never intended to make him feel any pain. She had pushed away his advances for so long, in fear of the consequences, before finally giving in to her emotions just a few short months ago. She walked away from his house, crying too, that day.  
  
And she was crying again now, thinking of the last 30 days. She had to move on, there was no other option. If she didn't, she'd spend the rest of her life feeling like crap. She didn't want that. She had to work through this. And like her feet had heard her mind, she found herself taking a stroll at almost nine at night. She just let them lead her. Away to the happy life she'd been living for ten years.  
  
It was as if something made her want to go that night. She felt drawn there somehow. She didn't fight it, though. There was no way around it. It had to be done one day, it would have to be now. Maybe it would be okay. Maybe everything would be normal again soon. Maybe she could get her friends back. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Enough maybes. She would get what she wanted. Hopefully.  
  
She had come to her destination. It figured. 'It's okay. Everything will be okay.' She knocked. Maybe no one was home. That sounded good to her. Finally, the door opened.   
  
There he was. Why did he have to look so good right now? Why couldn't he look sick, or dirty, or anything but handsome? He'd just taken a shower. She could smell the soap. And his hair wasn't quite dry. It was slicked back, too. He was wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans, and he had no shoes on. Wow. He'd never caused her breath to skip before.  
  
"What's up, Is?"  
  
"Not much. Can I come in?"  
  
Michael let her in.  



	3. Joy & Comfort

One month. Since his whole world changed. All he'd wanted to do was protect his father. Instead, he ended up being shot. He'd never been in so much pain. He could faintly hear his father's voice. Everything around him was blurry. He felt his life slipping away, when something pulled him back to reality. He opened his eyes and saw Max Evans looking down on him. Looking around, he saw there were a lot of people in the room. Max's sister Isabel, Michael Guerin, Alex Whitman, Maria DeLuca, Tess Harding and Liz Parker.  
  
But all that was replaced by confusion. He'd been shot, he knew it. He was dying. But Kyle Valenti was still very much alive. The whole in his shirt had been proof he had really been shot. That night, when he got out of the shower, he saw himself in the mirror. A silver handprint. Like Liz had on her stomach... after the incident at the Crashdown in September. That's what had happened, what Max did to her, to him. But how?  
  
He went to his dad, insisted he tell him the truth. At first, he danced around it, but he knew he couldn't keep it from him forever and he knew it.  
  
"Tell me, dad. What's the deal with Max Evans?"  
  
"He's an alien," he said calmly.  
  
"Yeah, right."  
  
"No, he is."  
  
He was serious.  
  
"But... how..."  
  
"And he's not the only one."  
  
Kyle's face must have lost all its color, because his father helped him sit down.  
  
"Wh... wh... who?"  
  
"Isabel, Michael and Tess."  
  
No way. Okay, it made sense for Isabel, she was Max's sister. And Michael was so weird, how could he NOT be an alien. And it would probably explain Tess' strange behavior on occasions. This was unreal.  
  
It had been 30 days since that day in the UFO center, and Kyle was still unsure on how he felt about all this. It had definitely changed his view on life. He had come to the conclusion that he respected the alien quartet. He would help them. He didn't know why, but he felt he had to. Liz, Maria and Alex had known for months and they seemed okay. And he was too. A little shaken, but other than that he was fine.  
  
He'd went to Max a week after he found out. He explained it all to Kyle. But all this talk about destinies, aliens, pods, orbs and whatever only had him wondering more. Max and Tess, Michael and Isabel... that was something that intrigued him more than anything. He'd known them for a very long time, except Tess, of course. The idea of Michael and Isabel was just amazing. And Max was way into Liz to go to Tess. It would take a miracle to get them together. He would have to wait and see.  
  
All the thinking had also made him remember certain events of the previous year. The time he followed Max and Liz to Michael's house, the thing at the cheesy motel, the FBI all over the place...  
  
In the last days of the school year, he'd noticed an obvious rift between the seven of them. The aliens were avoiding each other as much as possible, and Liz, Maria and Alex stuck together and wouldn't say a word to the other four. It wasn't as bad now, but they were still very uncomfortable around each other. Kyle promised himself he'd try to fix it. But how?  
  
The doorbell rang. He looked at the clock. 9:00. Who was that? His dad was on duty, and he had his keys. He hadn't ordered anything, so it wasn't a delivery person. He opened the door. It was Liz. What was she doing here? They just stared at each other for a few seconds. Then she smiled. Wow. She hadn't smiled, as far as he knew, for a month. She had this look on her face, like she was as surprised as he was to see her there. After a minute or two just standing there, he stepped aside to let her in. She did. He closed the door and turned to her. The smile was gone and she was crying. Not sure of what he should do, he pulled her to himself and held her close.  
  
*  
  
"Liz, are you okay? What are you doing here?"  
  
"Kyle, will you help me," she said through a sob.  
  
"What are you talking about?" he asked softly. She looked him in the eyes.  
  
"Help me get my life back. Help me put the Max thing behind me. Please?"  
  
"Hey, don't worry. I'm here for you. I'm here for you."  
  
She let go of him and sat on a couch.  
  
"Do you know what the last month has been like for me? Complete hell. But that's over. I don't want to feel sorry for myself anymore."  
  
Her face was hard and determined, the only aspect of her previous emotions were the tear streaks on her face. He sat next to her.  
  
"Liz, are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"Can we just..."  
  
She was interrupted by the loud crack of thunder. Liz let out a small scream and fell into Kyle's arms. They heard the rain start to pour. As the seconds passed, it got stronger and stronger. Kyle got up, Liz still holding on, and they walked to the window. It was now raining so hard, they could hardly see outside. Thunder and lightning followed. The two looked at each other, just as there was a loud crash and all the lights went out. It was pitch black.  
  
"You okay?" he asked.  
  
"Don't let go," she pleaded urgently.  
  
"I won't. Now, you were saying?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Before. You said, 'Can we just...'"  
  
"Talk."  
"Alright, well let's just find some candles first. Okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
They walked slowly, still holding on to each other. Kyle just felt for her. She'd gone through so much. It was unfair. Why her? She was the sweetest girl he knew. He intended to keep his promise to her. He'd help her get her life back. She was trembling against him, and he pulled her closer.  
  
"It's okay. It's okay. Don't worry. It'll be alright."   
  
He continued to whisper to her this way as they searched for candles and matches. It seemed to soothe her and he was glad. If she was feeling like this, he didn't even want to think about how the others must be feeling at the moment.  
  
***  
  
One month. Had it really been that long? He had barely seen it come and go. He was too busy feeling like he'd lost everything. But that wasn't true. He'd only lost her. And that felt like everything to him, somehow.  
  
He'd admired her from the shadows. He watched her laugh and smile, yell and cry. She was like a goddess in his mind. With that gorgeous blonde hair, and those eyes. He'd seen so much emotion in them, like nothing else. That was the thing. So many people would look at Isabel Evans' eyes and see joy. But Alex Whitman saw beyond that. He saw fear. This girl was gorgeous, smart AND popular, and she was scared to death. That just fascinated him.  
  
Then something happened. In September, there was an accident at the Crashdown. His best friends, Liz and Maria, started acting weird, lying to him, and they became 'friends' with Isabel, her brother Max, and their friend, Michael. Soon, he was sucked into it too. He helped twice, giving his blood and uncovering Topolsky's identity, before Liz told him the truth.  
  
Aliens... in Roswell... it figured. As time went by, though, the pieces started falling into place. That fear in Isabel's eyes... fear of being found out, of being judged for what she was. He saw it in the other two. So for the next few months, he kept on helping when he was needed. Mostly, he'd keep the FBI away from the three aliens.  
  
But then, the three became four.  
  
When this new girl had come to sit with them, he never would have guessed. She certainly looked normal, but then so did the others. He remembered that day when they were spying on her and they watched as she waved her hand over the broken pieces of a statue and they came together. They were speechless. Tess was an alien, too. Then, there was her 'father', Nasedo, as they called him. He was a shape shifter, a concept that gave Alex goose bumps just thinking about it.  
  
In that time, Isabel and him had started dating. Everything was going great. And then it became not so great. He found out the four of them, Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess had... destinies. He hated that word. How could Isabel be 'destined' to be with Michael? They were like brother and sister. All this... in the last month, it had made the lives of his best friends and himself miserable.  
  
On that day, when he returned home, he cried. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he did. At one moment, that night, he felt someone watching him. It was her, he knew it. He didn't move. He let her see him cry. He didn't want to be angry with her, and really he wasn't. He knew if he started this, he would be hurt at some point. A small price to pay in his mind.  
  
He was brought back to reality when he heard a knock at his window. Was it her? He couldn't tell. He wouldn't turn around, he didn't have the courage. But the knocking became more urgent so he turned to it.  
  
"What?" he almost shouted.  
  
He stopped short when he saw who it was. He opened the window.  
  
"Hey, Alex."  
  
"Maria... what are you..." he started, but she cut him off.  
  
"I just needed someone to talk to. Can I come in?" she said all in one breath.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked as he stepped back and helped her in.  
  
"Can we talk?"  
  
"About what?" he asked, although he already knew.  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Never mind, I think I know."  
  
"Maybe this wasn't a good idea..."  
  
She started to turn back, but he caught her arm.  
  
"No, stay. We can talk."  
  
That did it. She turned back and grabbed on to him for dear life as the tears started to flood. And then he started crying as well... again.  
  
*  
  
A few minutes went by before she let him go.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked again.  
  
"Are your parents here?"  
  
"They went to visit an aunt in Florida. They're gone for a whole week."  
  
She looked up at him.  
  
"Why is this happening to us, Alex? I mean, we're good people, why us?" she said through her tears.  
  
"I have no clue. But maybe it was made that way for something better to come along. Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'll be fine, we'll both be fine. What guy wouldn't want a great girl like you?"  
  
She smiled and he pulled her to him again. They stood there, neither of them breaking the embrace.  
  
Then all of a sudden, there was a loud crack outside the window. Maria tightened her grip on Alex. They heard the rain and saw the thunder and lightning. Then the lights went out.  
  
"Oh great," they exclaimed at the same time.  
  
They burst out laughing as they moved back, still holding on to each other. Before they knew what was going on, they tripped on something and fell on his bed, Maria on top. They were silent. She rolled over and lay next to him.  
  
A few seconds later, she asked, "What now?"  
  
"I think there's a flashlight on the table next to you."  
  
She reached over and found it.  
  
"Bingo," she exclaimed and turned it on. A beam of light pierced the darkness. She put the light on him. "There you are!" she said joyfully.  
  
He got up and extended his hand. She took it and he helped her up.  
  
"Come on, we'll go around the house."  
  
"What for?"  
  
"Candles, matches, see if the phone works."  
  
"Oh."  
  
They walked out of his room, and started going down the hall. At that moment, nothing was wrong with the world for them. It was just fine.  



	4. Company & Safety

One month. He missed her so much. She was right next to him sometimes, and it was like she was on another planet. That reference reminded him of the reason she wasn't by his reason she wasn't by his side. Why did he have to be who... what... he was? An alien, and a king. All his life, he'd felt this... urge... to be near her. Ever since that day he first saw her at school, he loved her. At first, he didn't know that's what it was. But then... he saved her life, and he knew he loved Liz Parker. And she loved him back. He wanted to keep her safe more than anything in the world. So he stayed away for a little while, before giving in.  
  
Her discovery of his secret didn't go over well with the others, his sister Isabel and friend Michael, at the beginning. It was their secret too, and he didn't consult them. He couldn't let her die, she didn't deserve to. Eventually, the other aliens accepted Liz, and then her friends Maria and Alex into their circle. It was perfect, everyone was happy.   
  
Then, she came along. Tess had intrigued him since he met her in his kitchen. There was something familiar about her. Like he'd known her for years. A month ago, he found out just how long he'd known her. She had been his wife on their world. He was heartbroken, even more when Liz left him. She told him she couldn't stand in the way of his destiny.  
  
Since that day, they've been ignoring each other, and he knew it wasn't because they wanted to. There was also Michael and Isabel. The idea of them as a couple just didn't seem possible. The last month had been hell for everyone. The humans stayed away from the aliens, and the aliens were barely speaking to each other. This was a disaster. He wanted everything to be okay, to have his friends back.  
  
At the moment, he wasn't sure how he felt about the situation. He wasn't angry with anyone, not even Tess. It wasn't her fault. It's what she'd been taught her whole life.  
  
He felt something then, it was a strange feeling, but it was there. Something was gonna happen that night, it was coming. And he couldn't fight it. He wouldn't. He had no idea what it was, but he couldn't run away, he had to face it eventually. So he sat and he waited.  
At about a quarter to nine, Isabel came through the living room, headed for the front door.  
  
"Is? Where are you going?"  
  
It was like she was hypnotized or something, like she couldn't hear him. She just left. He was confused, but he let it go.  
  
A little while later, the doorbell rang. Max got up slowly. This was it. He walked to the door and carefully opened it. He knew it would be her.  
  
"Tess. What are you doing here?"  
  
"Hi, Max," she said, a nervous smile spread across her face.  
  
'Is she blushing?' he thought. And she was, just a little. "Why are you..." he started, but she cut him off and replied,  
  
"I think we both know why."  
  
She was right. He let her in. He got a good look at her. She looked like a totally different person. He noticed some things for the first time. She wasn't just his alien wife. She was also a regular girl. He knew this, and he wished he'd seen it before. She was scared, but she tried to cover it with all her strength. He saw through it, though. Right then, she was confused, scared, and she was letting him see it. She just stood there.   
  
He called her name, but she was in her thoughts. He stepped closer, and tapped on her shoulder. She looked up at him, still silent.  
  
"It's okay," she whispered.  
  
She didn't know what to do, and he pulled her to himself knowing they both needed it.  
  
*  
  
"Well, that's certainly the first time you've this."  
  
"Done what?"  
  
"Held me," she said pulling back.  
  
"I knew you were coming."  
  
"Makes sense. I felt drawn here. I never decided to come, I just did." She looked around. "Where is everyone?" she asked.  
  
"My parents went to see a movie, just the two of them. Isabel left a little while ago, she wouldn't say where."  
  
They both knew where, now. They stood there for a minute, neither able to start the conversation.  
  
"What now?" she asked finally.  
  
"We can sit."  
  
"Okay."  
  
They did, uncomfortable to no end. They slowly looked at each other. Then came thunder, rain and lightning. They could see that the rain was very heavy. Then the lights went out.  
  
"Max?"  
  
"Tess?"  
  
He made a light in his hands, and she came closer.  
  
"We need to find a flashlight and candles, and..."  
  
"Can't we just..."  
  
"We're aliens, not electricians, Max."  
  
"There's a flashlight in that drawer," he indicated with his head. She found it and turned it on, so Max made his light go away. He walked to the phone and picked it up. "It's not working."  
  
"Oh, great," she said.  
  
"Guess we don't have a choice. So let's talk about this."  
  
"O... okay."  
  
It was dark, but he could see her blush. For some reason, that made him smile. When she saw it, she did too.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
They sat back down. Once again, they were silent.  
'Why can't I talk? I was all prepared to talk to him, and now I'm just sitting here like an idiot. Say something!'  
  
'Damn, she looks great when she blushes. Wait. Did I just think that? My head hurts. We should talk now, but how?'  
  
Five minutes passed, both lost in their thoughts. Through it, though, he saw that she jumped a bit when there would be thunder cracking over the sky as they sat there. He moved over a bit, and she was startled when he took her hand.  
  
***  
  
One month. The whole thing was ridiculous. He just knew that it wouldn't return to how it was, not that long ago. He didn't have any regrets, though, as much he wanted to. It would be easier that way, wouldn't it?  
  
He'd never admit it, but he was almost happy when Max told Liz what they were. He found more people he could trust, Liz, Alex and Maria.  
  
Poor Maria. He'd never meant to hurt her. He was furious at himself knowing he'd caused her pain, he didn't mean to, it just happened. He'd avoided contact with humans for that very reason. He didn't want anyone to get hurt because of him. People would look at Michael Guerin and see some tough guy, but he wasn't. He was a regular guy.   
  
Well, except for the alien thing. Him, Max and Isabel Evans, and, as he later found out, Tess Harding, had been in incubation pods aboard a spaceship when they crashed to Earth in 1947. The famous Roswell incident. Sometimes he wondered why they'd remained in that city instead of going somewhere a little less alien-crazed.  
  
But Max and Isabel had a nice life here, with real parents and everything. Michael, however, hadn't had that luck, stuck in foster homes. He envied them and they knew it. And Tess, all she'd had was Nasedo, their 'protector'. That wasn't better than him. Nasedo had no human side at all, his only purpose was to protect the four of them. But for some reason, they had all 'woke up' before Tess, and left. So Nasedo raised her, while trying to find them.  
  
That had come a few weeks ago. By then, Max and Liz, Michael and Maria, and Alex and Isabel were very close. But at their arrival it all changed. Soon, two more humans, Kyle Valenti and his father, the Sheriff found out. 30 days ago, the Valentis learned the aliens' secret, and the aliens found out something about themselves.  
  
Destiny... Max and Tess, Isabel and him. He actually felt bad for Liz, Alex too. But Maria was another story entirely. He stayed away from her, knowing he'd only make it worse otherwise. Then there was Isabel. She was like his sister, not his wife.  
  
After taking a shower, he'd dressed, black shirt and blue jeans. He was walking around barefoot after combing his wet hair back. He had this feeling at the pit of his stomach that something big was gonna happen that night. He sat and turned the TV on. He flipped the channels for a few minutes, finding nothing so he turned it off. He picked up his biology book, which was lying nearby. He leafed through it for ten seconds before putting it down.  
  
He got up and walked to the bathroom, picking up his towel and throwing it in the hamper. Finally, there was a knock at the door. Still careful, he walked to it slowly. He opened it and was relieved.  
  
"What's up, Is?"  
  
"Not much. Can I come in?" He stepped aside and she came in. "You know why I'm here, don't you?"  
  
"I think I do."  
  
"Good 'cause I'm not sure I do."  
  
They both smiled a bit.  
  
"You okay?" he asked her.  
  
"I guess," she said, almost whispering.  
  
"Is..." He noticed then that she was starting to cry. "Hey, hey, come on," he said, trying to calm her as he took her into a hug. In response, she pulled him closer. He wanted her to be happy, and she wasn't now. That made him feel bad.  
  
They remained this way for some time, but he didn't mind. He felt good. It made him realize how he felt when she was near him. It made him feel... whole, for some reason he didn't know, although deep down he knew why. She wasn't his sister. This girl was his destiny.  
  
*  
  
"I can't explain it, really. I was sitting at home, and I had this feeling I had to go out. I didn't know where I was going. When I stopped, I was here."  
  
"That's strange. I had this feeling something was gonna happen tonight," he said, as they sat on a couch.  
  
"Something? Like what?"  
  
As an answer, the sound of thunder was heard. He jumped slightly, and she nearly jumped to the ceiling. As she calmed down, they heard more of it and they saw there was heavy rain and lightning also.  
  
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said, mostly to herself. That's when the lights went out. "On second thought, I'm not so fine," she said through a shaky breath.  
  
"Stay here," he said, and got up.  
  
He couldn't see anything and tripped a few times. Each time, she asked if he was okay, and he was. Finally, he found the flashlight, and turned it on.  
  
"I'm gonna have bruises in the morning," he muttered. She giggled a bit, trying to hide it. "You laughing at me?"  
  
"No," she said, before bursting into full-on giggles.  
  
"Stop," he asked, not really serious. He was happy to see her smile. She didn't do it much lately.  
  
"Make me!" she managed to blurt out before even more giggling began.  
  
"Don't mind if I do," he said.  
  
He picked up a pillow and threw it at her. She wasn't even stunned and just threw it back.  
  
"Alright, that's it!"  
  
Before they realized it, a pillow fight had begun. Both of them enjoyed every second of it. They had forgotten all their worries and concentrated on themselves, for the first time in a very long time. They could hardly see anything, but it didn't matter. They were having fun, and that was what was important. For Michael, something normal and new. For Isabel, a new beginning.  
  
  
End of the prologue  



End file.
